Chapter 36 #2
“Where the hell is Isaiah?” I asked.
“Who?” Willow glanced behind her, freezing when Mia flew into her side, hugging her and staring back at the hall in horror.
Isaiah emerged from the darkened hallway, looking like a ghost. My two friends stared at him, their jaws on the ground.
“How did y’all not see him?” I asked, bewildered.
“Ms. Craig was on a mission,” Isaiah explained.
“Um, hi.” Willow’s voice was a bit higher than normal as she smoothed her hair, then repositioned so she and Mia were pressed together. Then she quickly smoothed Mia’s hair. “Who’s this?” she asked me.
I narrowed my eyes at her.
“My bodyguard who the guys think I’ll fall in love with,” I said flatly.
Isaiah’s gaze snapped to mine, his expression shocked.
“I’m not, though. No offense.”
Isaiah’s cheeks went a little rosy as he shook his head.
“His name is Isaiah,” I went on, trying to get the attention back on me, but it wasn’t working.
Willow and Mia were checking him out.
“Why is he alone with you if the guys think you’ll fall in love with him?” Mia asked nervously.
I gestured with my hands. “No idea.”
“I volunteered to be here yesterday,” Isaiah explained. “Mr. Craig was worried you’d wallow alone for too long and he didn’t want you to be alone.”
“Wow,” Willow snarked. “You’d almost think he cares about you.”
I cringed. “About that,” I said slowly.
“Oh, God. Don’t tell me you fucked and made up?!” Willow said so loudly, people probably heard her down in the quad.
Isaiah looked like he wanted to dissolve into the wall.
“No!” I snapped, covering my face. “We did not…fuck, but we are making up.”
“Well that’s good,” Mia said, sliding onto a barstool. “That makes Zephyr look like even more of a douche.”
I gave my friends a miserable look, and they both cringed.
“Sorry,” Mia muttered.
“No, I’m sorry.” I sighed. “Have either of you seen Lana? I need to check on her, too.”
“Why?” Willow hissed suddenly. “Was he jerking her around, too?!”
“I have no idea,” I replied honestly. “But she wanted to come back with us. So maybe?”
Willow stared at her reflection in the wall of windows. “How is he attracted to her? Is Lana his type?!”
“Willow,” I said flatly. “I hate to tell you this, but my brother’s type is just women who consent.”
Mia snorted while Willow scrunched up her nose, continuing to study her reflection. “Is it the bangs? Should I get bangs?”
I choked on my orange juice and Mia rolled her eyes.
“Isaiah?” Willow said, her voice a little higher as she turned. She batted her eyelashes at him. “Should I get bangs?”
Isaiah blinked several times. “Uh…I don’t…I don’t know–”
“That’s the short hair across the forehead,” I explained.
“Oh,” Isaiah said. “I don’t…know if that would look good on you?”
Willow beamed. “Okay! No bangs. But wait,” she turned to Mia. “Why does he like Lana?! Is it really the bangs?”
“Maybe…” Mia trailed off, chewing her lip. She was very carefully ignoring Isaiah’s presence. “Maybe…Lana’s in his Chain,” she whispered.
Willow’s jaw hung open and then she moaned before dramatically falling into one of the dining chairs. “Oh, my GOD, you’re right. What if she’s his Key?!”
I choked again on my orange juice, quickly mopping up the mess while those words settled heavy in my gut.
Holy shit. What if Lana was Zephyr’s Key?
Oh, my God. That would mean I’d killed my sister-in-law’s brother.
Oh, my God. That would also mean I’d tried to suffocate my sister-in-law.
…Oh. My. God. That would also mean I’d killed my brother’s mother-in-law!
“Skye, stop spiraling,” Willow barked.
“Leave me alone,” I groaned, hiding my face in my arms.
“Wait, I know what will cheer you up,” Willow said brightly, then sat up straight and formal. “We’re actually here because Mia kneed River in the balls just now.”
I gaped at them. Isaiah snorted.
“You what?!” I cried. “No way did I hear that right.”
“You heard right,” Willow said proudly. “Mia kneed River in the balls. It was sensational.”
That…was an interesting word to describe kicking someone in the balls. But I’d expect nothing less from Willow.
I carefully ignored the flare of anger I felt while imagining River in pain. If Mia kicked him, he probably deserved it.
“Yeah, we sparred in class.” Mia said. “I don’t know why Aiden paired us up.”
“Aiden paired you up?” I shook my head. “Didn’t Aiden just attack River in the quad?”
God, I hadn’t even had time to ask him what the hell had happened with River before Rafe…shadow-strangled a guy.
I winced at the memory.
“Okay, here’s what happened,” Willow said dramatically, her blue eyes darting to Isaiah to make sure he was watching. “We were looking for you, and Aiden turned around, saw River, and just made a beeline for him.”
I grimaced.
“He just punched him out of nowhere. It was wild. And then River tried to fight back with his affinity, and I was like, oh hell no. And I jumped in.”
I blinked at Willow, then looked to Mia.
“I didn’t have a choice, I had to help.” Mia said uneasily.
I looked to Isaiah. “That’s what I’d heard,” he said.
“Heard what?”
Goosebumps spread down my spine just at his voice.
I turned to the hall as Aiden appeared, nodding to Isaiah before coming to me. I bit my lip as he approached, eyeing his orange long sleeve t-shirt and grey joggers. He slid his arms around me for a hug that I welcomed.
You seem like you’re doing better, he said with a grin.
I nodded, then gave him a quick kiss, even giggling when he tried to keep the kiss going longer.
“Disgusting,” Willow whispered loudly to Mia.
Aiden turned, keeping me in his arms. “Willow, you’re just mad your man-whore stayed a man-whore.”
Willow’s mouth flew open, her eyes so wide I could see the whites of her eyes all the way around her irises. “You…you…what…what the fuck!” She sputtered, then stopped when Mia snorted and giggled.
“Anyway, get lost,” Aiden said. “I want Skye to myself.”
Willow opened and closed her mouth like a fish, her eyes still wide in shock as she glanced at me.
I smiled sheepishly. “I need Aiden right now.”
“Fine! Fuck you, Aiden!” She cried, then pulled Mia as they made for the door. She stopped at the hall entrance, turning and pointing an ominous finger at Aiden. “I’m onto you,” she said. “I know you paired Mia up with River on purpose. And I will find out why!”
Isaiah awkwardly followed the girls, leaving me and Aiden alone.
Aiden kissed me again, pushing his tongue into my mouth and bending me backwards, almost in half.
I laughed. “What the hell?”
“Sorry, baby. I missed you so much. Are you okay?”
I nodded. “I’m okay. Are…are you guys okay?”
“I’m fine,” Aiden answered honestly. “Rafe was stressed. Wyatt was also pretty stressed. I don’t think the dude drinks water.”
I snorted. “What?”
“Like…he only drinks coffee. I’ve never seen him drink anything different.”
I giggled as Aiden kissed my nose.
“So…Wyatt hasn’t been staying here. Why doesn’t he just…move in?”
“Good question,” Aiden growled. “Want me to needle him about it?”
I shrugged, but he tightened his grip, pulling me around to face him.
“Skye? I’ll help you if this is what you want.”
“It’s what I want,” I whispered.
Aiden kissed me, then ran his fingers through my damp hair. “And…River?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What about River? You wanna punch him again?”
Aiden pushed me suddenly, pressing me back against the wall. I blinked several times as he repositioned my hair over my shoulders. “If you want me to punch him, then I will. I got him good, too. You should’ve seen it. I think I gave him a concussion.”
I shook my head with a grimace.
“Sorry,” Aiden whispered. “It’s not funny. He…might be my Link-mate. I shouldn’t have done all that. But you have to admit it is funny how the dude keeps getting his ass kicked.”